Monitor for amplitude modulated signals



Ap 10, 195B H. R. suMMERHAYl-:SQ JR MONITOR FOR AMPLITUDE MODULATED SIGNLS Filed June 24, 1949 MNE: ZEPMQkm-O www NMSP

Inventor: A Havry R. Summerhayes,J L J Hs Attorney.

wwmolgdmom I l ,Fl I I l I I I IIII'.

Patented Apr. 10, 1951 MONITOR FOR AMPLITUDE MODULATED SIGNALS Harry R. Summerhayes, Jr., Schenectady, N. Y.,

assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application June 24, 1949, Serial No. 101,051

6 Claims. (Cl. 332-39) My invention relates to signal monitors for indicating characteristics of a radio signal and more particularly to a monitor arranged to provide effective warningof drift outside of a predetermined range of the radio signal frequency.

A general object of my invention is to provide an improved monitor for radio frequency signals, and particularly amplitude modulated radio frequency signals.

A more specic object is to provide an offfrequency responsive means to operate anv alarm in a radio frequency signal monitor.

The novel features which I believe to be characteristic of my invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. My invention itself, however, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, of which the single ligure is a circuit tdiagram of a monitor in accord with my invenion. A

The monitor shown in the drawing is provided with a radio frequency input circuit I, having an input terminal 2 to which the signal to be monitored is furnished, and comprising a series tuned circuit 3 to preventV the passage of harmonic signal components and an attenuator 4. The signal from the input circuit is measured in intensity by a carrier level measuring circuit 5 comprising a rectifier 6 and storage capacitor 'I arranged with conventional load and current limiting resistors to provide a direct current to indicating meter 8 proportional to the mean radio frequency peak voltage. The attenuator is adjusted to provide a predetermined input signal operating level, that is a predetermined voltage on meter 8.

The modulated input signal through separate connections to a phase detector circuit 9 and a modulation detector circuit I0, each of which comprises subject matter described and claimed in United States Patent No. '2,427,688, issued September 23, 1947 and in application' Serial No. 785,259, filed November 12, 1947, each being in the name of Donald E. Norgaard and assigned to the assignee of the present application.

Phase detector 9 operates in conjuction with a reactance tube circuit II to control a local oscillator I2 maintaining the frequency of the oscillator exactly equal to the carrier frequency of the input signal of the circuit I andr maintaining the phase of the local oscillator signal is furnished 2 substantially constant with respect to the input carrier.

The local oscillator signal, being unmodulated, is used in a carrier frequency measurement circuit I3 to provide an indication of small departures of the input frequency from the desired frequency. The carrier frequencymeasurement circuit I3l is of the type described and claimed in my copending application Serial No. 73,354, filed January 28, 1949, and assigned to the assignee of the present application.

The unmodulated signal from the local oscillator is also utilized together with the modulated input signal in modulation detector I0. As described hereinafter, the demodulation characteristics of the circuit I0 are such as to provide an audio output signal with very low distortion.

Demodulation products of the detector I0 are supplied to an audio amplifier I4 which energizes a monitoring loud speaker I5, provides a signal to a percentage modulation indicator and alarm circuit I6, and if desired, may be used to provide a signal to a noise and distortion meter I'I.

The oscillator circuit I2 comprises a parallel tuned tank circuit I8 across which the oscillator output signal appears. This tank circuit tends to prevent spurious components from reaching detectors 9 and I0 andthe carrier frequency measurement circuit I3, and serves as a stabilizing component of the oscillator circuit.

Arranged in series between the local oscillator and the modulation detector is a phase shift circuit I9 adjusted to provide substantially exact phase coincidence between the two signals supplied to the modulation detector. A regulator 2liA furnished from attenuator 4, furnishes a direct controlling voltage for reactance tube circuit I2.

A direct voltage appears across resistor 24 from the rectification provided by a rst rectifier or diode 25 proportional to the peak value of the vector sum of the two applied signals, since the modulated input signal Yis applied in series with the local oscillator signal and their sum. appears across resistor 24. The voltage across resistor 24 is, accordingly, comprised of this direct voltage plus a radio frequency component comprising the local oscillator signal.

The voltage across resistor 26, in shunt to a second diode 21, is equal to the difference between the direct voltage component, across resistor 24, and the peak radio frequency component 'of Ethe local oscillator signal, since the only radio frequency voltage applied to diode 21 is the local oscillator signal. The second diode 21 is connected as a peak detector and the direct voltage produced across resistor 26 is proportional to the peak voltage ofthe local oscillator signal. The direct voltage across resistor 26 subtracts from the direct voltage across resistor 24 to provide the output voltage;

The direct voltage output appearing across capacitor 28 is seen to be the diierence voltage obtained by subtracting a direct voltage proportional to the peak voltage of the local oscillatorY from a direct voltage proportional to the peak value of thevector sum of the two applied radiofrequency signals. v

In an operative embodiment of the invention, the peak value of the input signal was 8Y volts, and the peak valueof the local oscillator signal 2'0 volts. each as applied to the phase detector. Under these conditions the two signals must be displaced in phase by r18.6 degrees to provide zero output voltage across capacitor 28 and through filter resistor 29 to the control electrode 34 of direct current amplier discharge device 3 l.

A capacitor 32V of small capacitance is provided in the phase detector circuit cooperating with capacitor 22 and resistor 23 and with other components to form an alternating voltage divider circuit to obtain a voltage of suitable amplitude for use in the phase detector, and capacitor 33 andv resistance-capacitance network 34 are arranged to provide a filter for the detector output voltage. The time constant of the detector circuit, including this filter, the amplier 3l and the reactance tube circuit Il, is short enough toV lool; the local oscillator into synchronism at its predetermined phase relationship to the input carrier signal during the brief period that the two signals are within a few degrees of the predetermined phase relationship, at which time the phase detector output voltage passes through zero. The time constant, on the other hand, must be long enough that the reactance tube does not lose control during the'pe'r'iods of zero radio frequency input signal intensity'which existwhen the signal is modulated 100 percent.

The reactance tube circuit receiving the signal from phase detector 9 through a connection to load resistor 35 of discharge device 3| acts as a small variable inductance shunting the piezoelectric crystal 36 effectively to reduce by varying amounts the capacitance across the crystal contributed by a small variable capacitor 31.

The oscillator operates at a frequency near the antiresonant frequency of the circuit comprising crystal 36, the various xed elements in thevcontrol electrode circuit of the device 44 and the variable inductive reactance of the reactance tube circuit l I, and reactance tube circuit I l is capable of modifying the frequency of the oscillator i2 within predetermined limits above and below the desired input frequency. In practice it has been found satisfactory to provide oscillator control by the reactance tube within limits `of plus and minus 130 cycles above andV below the desired carrier'frequency ofthe input signal if the carrier frequency is approximately 1 megacycle.

The reactance tube circuit itself comprisesan Y oscillator plus the varying direct voltage.

electron discharge device 38 arranged with a phase shifting feedback circuit from the anode element through capacitor 39 and resistor 4 to a capacitor 4i and through resistor 42 to the control electrode. The cathode potential of the discharge device 38 is supplied from a voltage `regulator tube 43 in regulator circuit 26 whereby the control electrode of device 3B may be conductively connected through resistors to the anode circuit of device 3l without blocking capacitors, providing direct current coupling from di rect current amplifier 3|.

Local oscillator l2, which comprises a discharge device 44 and the crystal 36 is accordingly controlled to maintain oscillations having a predetermined phase displacement from the carriercomponent of the input signal. The output of the oscillator, to modulation detector ll), is shifted in phase by virtue of phase shift circuit IS by an amount just suicient to coincide substantially exactly with the phase of the carrier input signahthe necessary adjustments bei-ng conveniently made by a variable capacitor 45 arranged between the control electrode of device 46 and a ground terminal. This capacitor cooperates with resistor 41 in series with the incoming signal' connection, and with a resistor 48 connected to the positive potential source, to shift the phase of the incoming signal. Resistors 41 and 43 cooperate to form a potential divider network, grounded through tank circuit i8, to maintain a positive bias on the control electrode' of discharge device e5. The radio frequency signal, shifted in phase in accord with the adjustment to capacitor 45, and the values of resistors 41 and 48, appears across resistor 49 arranged in the cathode circuit of the discharge device, and the radio frequency alternating voltage existing on the cathode is supplied through coupling capacitor 5G to modulation detector G9.

The unmodulated radio frequency signal supplied through phase shifter i9 is greater in amplitude than the modulated input signal, preferably by about l5 times. The radio frequency voltages supplied lto the detector are exactly in phase, wtihin a very few degrees, and the detector operates as an exalted carrier detector in which negative peak clipping is substantially entirely absent. The reason-for this is simply that a percent modulated input signal is converted, prior to demodulation, into a signal having, for example, about 7` percent modulation if the input carrier is one-fifteenth the amplitude of the phase shifted local oscillator voltage as applied.

The modulation detector Hi comprises a circuit which will be seen to be substantially the same as that used in the phase detector 9. The modulated'carrier and unmodulat'ed radio frequency signal are applied in series to a rstvdiode 5| which recties these signals providing a direct voltage component across resistor 52 proportional to the peak value of the vector sum of the two applied carrier voltages. This direct voltage will vary in accord with the modulationl of the input signal, and the second diode 53'provides a voltage across resistor 54 proportional to the absolute value of the unmodulated local oscillator signal from capacitor 50, but the voltage applied to diode 53 is the large radio frequency signal of the local The resultant voltage across capacitor 55 isthe modulation voltage plus a small negative direct voltage component. It will be understood that this operation differs from that of phasedetector Sil-primarily in that the radio'frequencysignals applied 5, in modulation detector I are substantially exactly in phase. Signals nearly in phase provide an output closely approximating the modulation components and little affected by slight departures, of a few degrees, from phase coincidence.

Signals differing substantially in phase, as for example by 78.6 degrees, provide an outputlittle affected by modulation but substantially changed by departures from the predetermined phase relationship. The output signal of the phase detector 9 is filtered suiciently to vary little during one cycle of the modulating voltage of the lowest frequency probably to be present, asv for example 50 cycles.

On the other hand, the demodulation products derived in detector l0 are ltered by filter 56 only to remove radio frequency components, capacitor 55 being a component of this filter. The audio signal thus derived is supplied to an audio amplifier I4 comprising two triode discharge devices 51 and 58 connected in cascade in a resistance capacity coupled circuit, in which degenerative feedback is preferably employed to insure undistorted amplification, and the output of the second triode device 58 is furnished through an output transformer 59 to the monitoring loud speaker l5, and through a direct connection to -the percentage modulation indicator and alarm circuit I6. A connection may also be provided for a noise and distortion meter, as heretofore suggested, useful from time to time in testing the quality of the modulated input signal received on terminal 2 from the transmitter being monitored.

The percentage modulation and alarm circuit I6 comprises an electron discharge device 60 arranged in a phase splitting circuit to permit testing and determination of the percentage of modulation of either positive or negative modulation peaks. For this purpose a. switch 6l is arranged to apply either the anode or cathode signal from the device 88, one of which represents positive and the other negative modulation peaks, to a rectier 82 arranged to pass the signal representing the peaks of selected polarity from the phase splitter to the cathode 63 of the diode.

Control electrode 84 of triodedevice 65 is directly connected to the cathode 53. The combination of resistors S6 and 51and capacitor 58, connected to cathode 53, is arrangedtoV respond rapidly to an increase in signal intensity but to have a long decay period. The cathode 69 of device 55v assumes the voltage of cathode 63 substantially 'exactly and with very little delay, and a fast acting meter circuit, comprising a meter 10, is arranged tcv indicate the voltage of the cathode Since the decay time of the voltage is long, and the build-up time short, the meter is excited by a voltage corresponding to the maximum modulation excusions. It will be understood that the meter may be calibrated directly in percentage modulation and responds to negative or positive modulation in accord with the position of switch 8|. Variable resistors 1| and 12 are arranged in the meter circuit to permit adjustments, respectively, to set the zero point of the meter and to adjust the sensitivity, whereby the other meter calibrations correspond accurately to the percentage modulation.

A grid controlled gaseous discharge device 13 is arranged for triggering in response to even very brief sharp overmodulation pulses. As the cathode 69 of device 65 and control electrode 14' Yof device 13 reach a predetermined positive potential greater than the positive potential applied to cathode 15 of device 13 through the inductance element 84. 84 may be adjustable as shown, or may have a no longer correct.

6y potential divider network 16, the device 13 is conditioned for firing. Device 13 is connected to a 60 cycle alternating current source and will fire whenever a, positive half cycle of anode voltage occurs with a sufficiently positive control electrode voltage. A relay operating coil 11 and small lamp 18 are connected in parallel in the series anode-cathode circuit of device 13 to be excited by the firing thereof. Lamp 18 ilashes .and the relay picks-up to close contacts 19 and operate alarm bell whenever the modulation peaks exceed the maximum determined by the cathode bias of device 13. This bias may be normally set by divider 16 to provide alarm indications of greater than 100 percent modulation or readily adjusted to indicate any other percentage as desired.

The system described, including the overmodulation alarm and synchronized local oscillator, has many operating advantages. The local osscillator signal, beingunmodulated, is much more readily measured as to frequency than a modulated signal. It is also desirable, as described, to utilize the unmodulated local oscillator signal in an exalted carrier detector having an output which is substantially linear and which contains substantially n0 components arising from peak clipping or diode non-linearity. As heretofore stated, the reactance tube is capable of controlling the local oscillator through a limited range of frequency, such as about 250 cycles. If the carrier frequency of the input signals drifts out of this range, the reactance tube looses control of the oscillator and the local oscillator frequency drifts away from the input signal carrier frequency being separated therefrom by what will usually be a low audio frequency. When this oscillator frequency, somewhat removed from the carrier frequency of the input signal, is supplied to the modulation detector I0, a strong beat note is produced in the detector output together with a badly distorted reproduction of the original modulation as the two radio frequency signals go in and out of phase. The detector output, accordingly, provides a very disagreeable, loud, immediately recognizable noise from loud speaker l 5, audibly warning that the carrier frequency is At the same time, large Signal components are furnished to the percentage modulation indicator and alarm circuit I6, both positive and negative in polarity, and the percentage modulation indicator meter 18 is driven 0E scale beyond the 100% position Vand gaseous discharge device 13 conducts to cause alarm 80 and flasher lamp 18 to operate. The result is that olf-frequency transmitter operation provides a loud disagreeable loudspeaker warning, an alarm bell warning, an Valarm flashing lamp warning, and an olf-scale warning on meter 18.

The carrier frequency measurement circuit E3 operates as a frequency discriminator and comprises a piezoelectric crystal element 8l arranged -with a series capacitance formed cf two elements 82, 83, one of which is adjustable, and a shunt The inductance element variable capacitor connected in parallel thereto to permit adjustments to the net effective in ductance, or both may be provided to permit coarse adjustments by means of the one and fine adjustments by the other. The crystal 8l and capacitors 82, 83 form a series resonant circuit at a frequency slightly above the natural resonantV frequency of the crystal alone, and at this frequency a. minimum impedance is presented. At a frequency somewhat further above the naty quency 'iiralnresclint crystal frequency, dienst impdlat the parallelresonant frequency for the crystal circuit and will. be aminimum if the fre-- quency corresponds to the series resonant fren practice, the series and parallel frequencies are arranged to be approximately equi- Ydistant from the desired mean operating frequency of the monitored transmitter, and the purpose of the net effective inductance element 84 as adjustably reduced by capacitor 35 is to nullify all of the equivalent shunt capacitance of the crystal, crystal holder and stray capacitance's. This arrangement permits' the frequency separation between the series andparallel resonant points to remain substantially unchanged when both of these points are shifted together by adjustments to series `capacitor 82, such adjustments of capacitor 82 being made to so adjust the crystal circuit that the desired operatingtransmitter frequency falls substantially exactly midway between the series and parallel resonant frequencies of the crystal circuit.

The detected voltageis indicated by armeter 88 which is preferably calibrated to` read directly cycles of displacement of the local oscillator signal, and thus of the input signal on terminal 2, from the desired operating frequency. Operation exactly on this frequency provides a detected voltage of predetermined magnitude, corresponding to a zero meter scale position, and departures from' the desired frequency increase or decrease the'voltage in' accord With the direction of displacement of the local oscillator signal from the desired frequency.

Slight changes which may occur in the inag-V nitude of the local oscillator signal are compensated by a diode E29 arranged to rectify this signal directly and apply a biasing potential proportional thereto to the detector circuit comprising diode Si. This compensation is exactly correct for null indications, but only partially effective for departures from the desired frequency. Thus small signal intensity variations provide slightly erroneous meter indications of cycles displacement from the desired center frequency, which error disappears at zero displacement.

A heretofore pointed out, large changes in oscillator signal intensity are prevented by the regulator circuit 2B since discharge device 90 is arranged to draw-current through resistor 9|', when the peak voltage across tank circuit I8 exceeds the potential of voltage regulator tube d3, to drop the screen electrode potential of oscillator device 1M. The amplitude of the oscillator voltage is thus limited to a predetermined maximum amplitude. The oscillator normally tends to produce an amplitude greater than this Ina-Ximum amplitude, and the amplitude is thus maintained substantially constant.

While I have shown only certain preferred embodiments of my invention by way of illustration, many modifications will occur to those skilled in the art and I therefore Wish to have it understood that, I intend, in the I'tippended clairnsnto cover all such modifications as fall Within the true spirit and scope of my invention. l What 1 claim as knew and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is: Y

l. 1n a signal monitor for monitoring an input signal, a local oscillator comprising a frequency determiningelement, a variable electronic reactanc'e connected in circuit with said element operative to' control the requen'cyof oscillationsof said oscillator through a limited frequency range, said inputsignal being subject to frequency excursions Within and without saidI range, means responsive to the phase differential between said input signal and `a voltage produced in said oscillator` to vary said reactance and synchronize `said oscillatdrvoltage in predetermined phase relation with said input signal when thefrequency o'f said input-, signal is Within said range, second phase responsive means connected to receive said voltage and said input signal to provide an output voltage corresponding t0 a beat frequency between the frequency of said 'oscillator voltage and the frequency of said input signal when said signal is outside said range, and means to indicate said beat frequency output Voltage.

`2. In a signal monitor for monitoring a modulated input signal, a local oscillator comprising a frequency determining element, a variable elctoilic reactanc Connected in Circuit With Said element operative to control the frequency of oscillations of said oscillator through a limited frequency range, said input signal being subject to freqiieicyV excursions within and without said range, means' responsive to the phase differential between said input signal and a voltage produced inA sadoscillator to vary said reactance and synchronize said oscillator voltage in predetermined phase relation Awith said input signal when the frequency of said input signal is within said range, second phase responsive means connected to receive said voltage and said input signal to provide `an output voltage Vcorresponding to a beat frequency between the frequency of said oscillator. voltage and the frequency of said input signalwhen said signal is outside said range, and

Yr'ne'ar'i'sto' indicate said beat frequency output voltage, said second phase responsive means conip'rilsinfg dem'odulating` means for said input signal. 3'. In a signal monitor for monitoring a modulated i'n'put signal, a local oscillator comprising a' frequency determining element, a Variable electronic reactance connected in circuit with said element operative to control the frequency of oscillations of* said oscillator through a lintd frequency range, said input signal being subject to frequency excursions within and without said range, means' responsive to the phase differential between said input signal and a voltage produced in said oscillator tjo vary said reactance and synchroniz'e said oscillator voltage in predetermined phase relation with said input signal when the frequency of said input signal is Within said range, second phase responsive means connected toreceive said voltage and said input signal to provide an output voltage corresponding to a beat frequency betwist-:nd the frequency of said oscillator voltage` and the frequency of said input signal when said signal is outside said range, and means to indica-te said `beat frequency output voltage, said second phasev responsive means comprising demodulating means for said input signal, and said indicating means comprising means to indicate a modulation characteristic of said input signala- 4. A signal monitor comprising an oscillator having a frequency determining element, an electronic reactance device connected to said oscillator to control the frequency thereof over a limited frequency range only, a phase detector connected to receive the input signal to be monitored and the signal generated by said oscillator to provide a voltage related to the phase difference in said signals, said input signal being normally of a frequency within said limited range but subject to excursion out of said range, means to supply said voltage to said reactance device thereby to control said oscillator in frequency and phase to predetermined relation with the frequency and phase of said input signal, a modulationdetector comprising means to compare said input signal and said oscillator signal in phase, and means connected to said detector to provide an audible reproduction of the detected amplitude modulation of said input signal, whereby said audible reproduction is distorted Iwhen said input signal frequency drifts out of said limited range.

5. A monitor for an input signal, said signal comprising 'a radio frequency component, said monitor comprising local oscillator means, means to synchronize said oscillator means with said component in frequency and phase normally to provide an unmodulated signal from said oscillator means in phase with said component, said synchronizing means being effective only over a predetermined limited range of frequencies, an exalted carrier detector circuit connected to receive said input signal and said unmodulated signal, and means responsive to the output of said detector circuit to indicate departures from normal of said output when said component and local signal diifer in frequency.

6. A monitor for an input signal, said signal comprising a carrier component and a modulation 10 component, said monitor comprising local oscillator means, means responsive to the voltage of said local oscillator means and to said carrier component to control said oscillator to maintain said voltage in predetermined phase and frequency relation to said carrier component, said last means being effective to control said oscillator means over a limited frequency range only, said carrier component being normally within said range but subject to excursions out of said range, phase responsive Vmeans to receive and compare the relative phase of said voltage and said component and to provide an output voltage having a predetermined relation to the phase displacement between said voltage and component thereby to provide an output voltage varying in accord with the beat frequency between said carrier component and said voltage of said oscillator means during said excursions of said carrier component, said phase responsive means comprising an exalted carrier demodulator for said modulation component, and means connected to receive the output voltage of said phase responsive means normally to indicate characteristics of said modulation component and to indicate the presence of said beat frequency output voltage during said excursions.

HARRY R. SUMMERHAYES, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,309,481 Summerh'ayes Jan. 26, 1943 2,324,914 Dow July 20, 1943 2,419,527 Bartelink Apr. 29, 1947 

